Engine-coupling pocket.



w. E. GOPPIN.

ENGINE COUPLING POCKET.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12. 1910.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. E. GOFFIN.

ENGINE COUPLING POCKET.

APPLIOATION IILED NOV. 12, 1910.

Patented Feb.4,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR 141.6 (3% TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER E. COFFIN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLECASTINGEL COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ENGINE-COUPLING POCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

Application filed November 12, 1910. Serial No. 592,112.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVAL'rEn E. 'CorriN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Cleveland, in the county of (Juyahoga and State ofOhio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Engine CouplerPockets, of which the following is a full, clear,'and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view, showing one form ofpocket embodying my invention attached to the pilot beam of an engine;Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front View;Fig. 4 is a plan view, showing anmdified form of pocket; Figs. 5 and 6are detail views, showing one form of one of the shims 0r washers; andFigs. 7 and 8 are similar views, showing another form of shim or washer.

My invention has relation to pockets for engine or tender couplers,andis designed to provide means of simple and efficient character bywhich the pockets may be readily adjusted to compensate for the changein elevation of the pocket and coupler, due to wear and the consequentdropping of the coupler head. "v

The nature of my invention will be best understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which I have shown the preferred embodimentsthereof, and which will now be described, it being premised, however,that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement ofthe parts by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spiritand scope of my invention, as defined 1n the appended claims.

In these drawings, the numeral 2 designates the pilot beam of an engine,and 3 is a casting which is, in general, of a form well known in thisart and commonly termed an engine or tender pocket. This pocket isprovided with a vertically extending pin hole 4:, and has a bell-shapedmouth or pocket portion 5, in which is pivoted the short shank of anengine coupler (not shown) by means of a pin inserted through the hole4. The casting 3 is formed with a base portion 3, by means of which itis secured to the pilot beam. This base portion is provided with aplurality of bolt holes 6, which are elongated in a vertical directionand through which pass the securing bolts 7,

which fasten the pocket to the pilot beam. Placed in eachof these boltholes is a washer 8, which is preferably of the form shown in- Figs. 5and 6, and which comprises a flat base portion having a hole 8therethrough for the reception of a bolt 7, and also having a rearwardlyprojecting boss 8", which extends through the slot 6. The hole 8 of thewasher is symmetrically placed with respect to the vertical axis of thewasher, but is unsymmetrically placed with respect to its horizontalaxis, so that if the washers are withdrawn from the position where theirbosses engage the slotted holes in the base plate of the pocket and arerotated through an angle of 180 degrees and then reinserted, the boltholes 8 1n the washers will have been displaced vertically relative tothe pocket through a distance equal to twice the distantieof these holesfrom the horizontal axes of the washers; therefore, when the securingbolts 7 are again inserted within these holes and are attached to thepilot beam in the same position as formerly, the pocket will have beenraised vertically relative to the pilot beam and securing bolts by thissame amount. The purpose of this adjustment will be readily understood.When a pocket is applied new to a pilot beam or end sill, the washersare first inserted in place, so that the holes 8 are in their higherposit-ions, and the bolts 7 are then'p'assed therethrough to secure thepocket to the beam or end sill. After a certain amount of wear has takenplace, particularly within the mouth of the pocket and around the holefor the pivot pin, the coupler head will often droop to such an extentas to make it difficult to effect couplings or to make the lia bility ofatcidental uncoupling very great, on account of the difference invertical level between two approaching couplers. lV hen this amount ofwear has taken place, it is very desirable to have some means of simpleand effective character for -raising the coupler head. In my Patent No.835,726, dated November 13, 1906. I accomplished this by means of shimswhich could be placed in the pocket either above or below, the couplershank, thereb holding the same at the desired level. ne disadvantage inthe use of shims of this character is that it necessitates the use of agreater unsupported length of pivot pin for the coupler than isnecessary where only the coupler shank itself is within the pocket. Inthe latter case, the unsupported length of the pivot pin need only beequal to slightly more than the depth of the coupler shank, whereaswhere shims of the character of my prior patent are employed, theunsupported length of the pin is equal to the depth of the couplershank, plus the thickness of one or more of .10 the shims. By thepresent invention, the

desired adjustment may be very readily and easily accomplished by asimple change in the position of the washers and without the necessityof forming new bolt holes in the pilot beam or end sill.

Figs. 7 and 8 show another form of washer 8 which is, in general,similar to the washer shown in Figs. 5 and 6, except that its bolt hole8 is not unsymmetrical with respect to the horizontal axis of thewasher. vThiswasher is designed to be used as a means for afiording anadjustment intermediate the extreme positions provided by the reversalof the washer, first described.

That is to say, when the pocket is first applied, it is preferable toput it in place with the washers 8 having their holes in the uppermostposition. When a small amount of adjustment is required, the washers 8can then be removed and the washers-shown in Figs. 5 and 6 inserted intheir place. In this case, the pocket will be raised'by an amount aboutone-half as great as if the V washers 8 had been turned through an anglepf 180 degrees.

The form of my invention shown in Fig.

4 differs from the form shown in the other figures only in the form ofthe pocket casting 9. In this figure, this casting is shown v40 ashavinga rearwardly extending flange 10,

which is adapted to be secured to the upper side of the pilot beam orend sill and thus assist in supporting the pocket.

The advantages of my invention will be 45.. readily apparent from theforegoing specification, since it provides an exceedingly simple,convenient and ractical means of attaining the desired ad u'stment.

'tioning the base plate I claim:

1. ,I n a coupler of the character describedfa coupler pocket, a baseplate for attachment to'a railway vehicle, elongated slots in the baseplate, reversible filler blocks for seating in said slots, and securingbolts, one end of each filler block being recessed to engage one of thesecuring bolts within-a slot, the said filler blocks and the boltscomprising means for positioning the base plates at varying heights.

2. In a coupler -of the character described, a coupler pocket, a baseplate for attachment to a railway vehicle, an elongated slot in the baseplate, securing bolts for the slots, reversible filler blocks, each 7having one end shaped to seat in the end of a slot, the other end havinga semi-circular recess arranged to seat against a securing bolt, and areinforcing boss formed integrally with the filler block, the said bosshaving a concave portion forming a continuation of the semi-circularrecess of the bolt opening in the filler block, the said bolts andfiller blocks comprising means. for posiat varying heights. 3. In acoupler of the character described, a coupler pocket, a base plate forattachment to a rallway vehicle, elongated slots in thebase plate,securing bolts in the slots, reversible filler blocks engaging thesecuring bolts, each block being comprised of a face plate bearingagainst the base plate and a rearwardly extending portion for seating ina slot, one end of the rearwardly-extending portion being shaped to seatin one end or" a slot and the other end consisting of a reinforcing bossadapted to support one-half of a securing bolt, the said filler blocksand bolts comprising means for positioning the base plate at varyingheights.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set v my hand.

- WALTER E. COFFIN.

Witnesses: CHESTER K. Bnoons HARRY E. ORR.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

